Capital a Jomreal
THE WEATHER
MOSTLY CLOUDY with occa
sional showers, tonight. Bonds;.
Little ehan(e la temperature.
Low tonight 19; Ugh Sunday,
IS.
EDITION
65th Year, No. 39 25?jnSZ Salem, Oregon, Saturday, February 14, 1953
Price 5c
.11 tm fa.
Portland G. I.
Killed Wile
For Burglar
Portland Airforce Ser
geant Shot Mother of
, 3 Children in Africa
Casablanca WW French police
said Saturday V. S. Air Force
Set. Roy Combs of Portland,
Ore., mistook his wife Barbara
for an intruder and shot and
kUled the mother of his three
children last month.
The shooting took place in the
Combs home at Pont Blondin, a
small town on the Atlantic Ocean
near Febella, 20 miles from Cas
ablanca, on the night of Jan. 29.
French police who Investigat
ed the shooting, said Combs,
awakened during the night by
what he described as a suspicious
noise, seized his pistol and shot
at a dark figure entering his bed
room. It was Mrs. Combs.
Rushed Wife to Hospital
Combs rushed his wife, who
had been struck by two' bullets.
to the American hospital at the
U. S. Air Force base at Noua
ceur, but she died a few min
, utes after arriving. A few days
later Combs left for the United
States.
(Concluded on I'age 5, Column i)
East Germany
Courting Egypt
Cairo, P) Soviet-controlled
East Germany entered trade
talks with Egypt here Saturday
as a West German economic
delegation prepared to fly back
to Bonn after discussions whose
outcome still was uncertain.
Bonn's representatives have
been here for more than 10 days.
They had several meetingswith
Egyptian and Arab representa
tives in an attempt to stave off
the threatened Arab economic
boycott of West Germany over
. the issue of payment of German
reparations to Israel.
The West Germans claimed
. discrepancies between the terms
requested by Egypt and those
Bonn was prepared to meet
Reliable informant said East
Germany is Interested In buy
ing Egyptian cotton and onions.
O'Dwyer Joins
Law Partnership
Mexico City VP) Former U.
S. Ambassador William
O'Dwyer says he has acquired
immigrant status in Mexico
end has e n t e r ed partnership
with two Mexican lawyers.
O'Dwyer said he would act
as counsellor to the firm head
ed by Jorge Mendiola and
Luis Gonzales Escobar. Under
Mexican law, O'Dwyer cannot
practice law here himself be
cause he is an American citi
zen. The former American envoy
said he was optimistic over
prospects nf his law business
here but refused any comment
on what clients he might have
lined up.
"Let's have no more fishing
about whom I'll represent," he
told reporters.
GAR Goes Out
01 Existence
Los Angeles VP) The Grand
Army of the Republic went out
of existence in a quiet ceremony
yesterday.
The Bible used by Stanton
Post SS from its formation in
1883 was closed and the post's
American flag furled for the last
time.
The mementoes will be sent
to Washington, D. C, to be plac
ed in historical archives.
The Women's Relief Corps
GAR auxiliary has been trus
tee of the Bible and flag since
the death, Jan. 23, of William
Allen Magee 106, last member of
the organization of Union vet
crans of the Civil War.
The two surviving Union
Army members are not GAR
members, said Mrs. Charlotte
Kratche, president of the Wo
men's Relief Corps. They are
James A. Hill, 111, of Roches
tor, N. Y, and Albert Woolson,
106, of Duluth, Minn.
Weather Details
Martm ywtoraar Ht wlatam U
4t. M. TftUi U-fcar rtlBttatiai trtft
far alai I Ml rail, t.tt. nata r-
fiIUIt, t.7ti rati. tS M. ftlTrr
flfht. fret, (ftrwm fer 11. Weather
BirMt)
Pope in New
Mercy Appeal
For Atom Spies
White House Con
firms Urgent Requests
Received for Clemency
Washington VP) The White
House announced Saturday the
receipt of new word from the
VaUcan on appeals filed with
Pope Plus XII for an Interview
on behalf of the condemned atom
spies Julius and Ethel Rosen
berg. The new communication was
letter received Friday night
from the Rt Rev. Amleto Gio
vanni Cigognani, apostolic dele
gate to Washington. It related
that urgent pleas for the con
demned couple had been receiv
ed by the head of the Catholic
church who felt that American
officials should be informed.
Thanked for Courtesy
Tne apostolic delegate was
told in a reply that President
Eisenhower was notified of his
letter and had expressed his
thanks "for this courtesy."
Asked by newsmen whether
the President might reconsider
his decision of last Wednesday
refusing to block the execution
of the Rosenbergs, Press Secre
tary James C. Hagerty would
only say:
(Continued on Pace 5, Column 7)
Settle Las Vegas
$225,000 Suit
Las Vegas, Nev.. OP) A $223.-
000 damage suit against Sen.
Pat McCarran (D., Nev.) and 20
Las Vegas gambling casinos and
hotels hat been settled out of
court.
Terms of the mid-trial settle
ment of the suit brought by
Publisher H. M. Greenspun of
The Las Vegas Sun were not
disclosed. But a reliable source
reported that It was In favor of
oreenspun in a sum estimated
at between $76,000 and $86,000.
Greenspun charged that Sen.
Mcuarran and the casinos con
spired in violation of anti-trust
laws to discontinue casino and
iimei advertising in the paper
oecause oi nis published com
ments critical of McCarran. The
cnarges were denied by McCar
ran and his co-defendants.
Defends Benson
From Attacks
Washington VP) Sen. Wiw
R-Ida., today strongly defended
Secretary of Agriculture Ben
son ana accused Democrat nf
piaying politics" with declin
ing farm prices.
The new secretary has Wn
me target or hot criticism, es
pecially by Democrats in Con
gress, aoout a speech he made
Wednesday niaht in St. Paul
Minn. Critics also have called'
on him for action to stem the
farm price drop-off.
Welker, who serves on the
Senate Agriculture Committee
sam Benson is "a great man"
who would come up with a solu
tion for farm ills after he has
had a chance to study them pro
perly. He said it was silly to expect
the secretary to present a new
farm program after only three
weens in ouice.
Sharp Division Found
On Convention Issue
By JAMES
The question of whether any
thing substantial could be ac
complished by the calling of a
constitutional convention and
fear that between $300,000 and
$500,000, estimated cost of hold
ing such a convention, would
"go down the drain" was ex
pounded by Rep. Robert W. Root
of Medford at a meeting of the
house, state and federal affairs
committee late Friday.
Root said that recently he
had read the state constitution
for the first time, and after do
ing so, was frankly unable to see
whether any substantive changes
could be made to justify the
work and expense of a conven
tion. The Medford lawmaker ques
tioned the convention method,
saying that he believed consti
tutional amendments could be
made at successive legislatures
during the next 10 years that
ould accomplish the same re -
suits at far lesser cost.
f
Injunctions to
Halt Pollution
Portland, VP) Injunctions will
be filed to force North Rose
burg and the city of Toledo to
stop stream pollution, the State
Sanitary Authority reports.
Chairman Harold Wendell
said the authority had directed
its attorney to name the North
Roseburg Sanitary District,
Roseburg Homes, Inc., Clover-
dale Water District and H. R.
Ketell of Portland in an in
junction to halt pollution of a
tributary of the South Umpqua
River. The action is to be taken
against all three because the
authority can't determine which
is responsible for sewage dis
posal there, Wendell said.
The injunction to be sought
against the city of Toledo will
be an effort to stop pollution of
the Yaquina River on the Ore
gon coast. Wendell said the city
had noj complied with an earlier
oraer calling an end to the pol
lution by Dec. 1, 1952.
This is the first time the 14-year-old
authority has planned
legal action against a city.
New Courthouse
For Hood River
Hood River VP) Hood River
voters settled the lond-standing
courthouse issue in a special el
ection Friday, voting to build a
new courthouse at a site in down
town Hood River.
The vote was overwhelming In
favor of erecting the new build
ing, 2,451 for to only 95 against.
The new courthouse will be built
on the Coe property site, with
worn scheduled to start in June.
The old courthouse, used for
15 years, will be sold to the Com
mercial Bank of Oregon, with
headquarters in Hillsboro. The
bank will open a branch here,
using the old courthouse build
ing.
Funds for the new courthouse
will come from a $200,000 build
ing fund plus $63,000 from sale
of the old building. The Coe
property was the site of the
county's first courthouse, taken
over when Hood River county
was formed in 1908.
Norwegian Princess Engaged
Oslo, Norway, VP) Princess
Ragnhild, pretty brunette oldest
daughter of Norway's Crown
Prince Olav, is engaged to the
son of a wealthy Oslo ship-owning
family, an announcement
from the royal palace said Sat
urday. The Princess' fiance is
30-year-old Erllng Lorentzen.
The wedding is scheduled for
the beginning of May.
D. OLSON
Rep. Mark Hatfield chairman
of the committee, who favors the
convention, said that the present
Oregon constitution is cluttered
up with matters that are purely
statutory and should be dealt
with by the legislature
tie sam that the reason for a
new state constitution was the
same as prompted complete re
vision of the Oregon code. The
convention, he added, would be
free of legislative control and
the constitution that would be
drafted by any convention would
require ratification by tho vot
ers. There are two bills in the leg
islature calling for a constitu
tional convention, one in the
house and the other in the sen
ate. About the principal differ
ence between the two la that the
senate version calls for a larger
number of delegates than the
1 house bill.
I (Concluded en Psga , Column ()
Losing No Time United Nations soldier seriously wounded
In the battle for Old Baldy In Korea is rushed to an evacua
tion helicopter by medics. Cpl James E. Smith of Jackson
ville, Fla. (holding bottle), administers blood plasma to the
Injured man. on the run. (UP Telephoto)
GIs Fight Way Out of
Tropin Vicious Battle
Seoul U.R Surrounded Allied I
soldiers fought their way out of
Chinese communist trap in a
savage five-hour battle on the
Western Front today while their
comrades smashed four enemy
probing attacks in other sectors.
Supported by heavy artillery
fire the Reds swarmed in on an
advance United Nations outpost
on Old Baldy mountain on the
Western Front
Outnumbered and completely
surrounded, the allied troops bat-
Probe of 'Voice
To Continue
New York VP) Sen. McCarthy
(R.-Wis.) continues today his
Senate subcommittee closed
hearings probing alleged "mis
management and subversion" in
Voice of America operations.
Fifteen . witnesses - who were
on hand to testify yesterday were
told to return today. Among
those expected to testify is Albert
H. Morton, director of the Voice.
The five witnesses heard yes
terday, the first of the sessions,
were Howard Fast, leftist writer;
Virgil Fulling, chief of the
Voice's Latin-America news ser
vice; Edward Kretzmann, the
Voice's policy director; Lewis
McKesson, former project engi
neer for the Voice; and James
Moran, former Voice engineer in
Honolulu and Ceylon.
In discussing the Voice of
America yesterday, McCarthy
said:
I'm in no way interested in
killing the patient. The idea of
the Voice is good."
McCarthy said he did not
know when the hearings would
be opened to the public.
Auto Output to
Jump to Peak
Washington UJ9 Auto produc-
tion should jump almost 40 per
cent to a near record peak this
year with abandonment of al
most all metals controls June 30,
industry spokesmen said today.
They said the auto makers ex
pect to produce 6,000,000 pas
senger cars this year, about 1,
680,000 more than 1952, and
close to the 1950 peak of 6,600,-
000 cars. .
In Detroit, industry represen
tatives hailed the government's
announcement ending civilian al
locations of steel, copper, and al
uminum June 30. But they said
there probably would be little
immediate effect.
Chrysler Corporation Presl
dent L. L. Colbert called the
move "a perfectly feasible step
toward a return to free compe
tition' but said there was no in
dication sufficient metal would
be available for an immediate
jump in production. -
Many Homeless
In Saigon Fire
Saigon, Indochina VP) A fire
raging through a straw hut vil
lage near the commercial port
of Saigon today destroyed some
5,000 homes. First reports said
four persons were killed and 100
other seriously burned.
An estimated 20,000 persons
were made homeless by the con
flagration that flamed on Indo
china's biggest holiday the
Fete de Tet signaling the ar
rival of the new year.
4
I
H
tied for their liyes and called
for reinforcement. Two rein-
forcing groups were unable to
get through.
At dawn, with the said of al
lied artillery and mortar fire, the
allied troops attacked the en
circling Reds and fought their
way to safety.
It was the second day of
stepped up Chinese Red pressure
along the front, and the first
time in three days the weather
was good enough for .effective
allied aerial action.
Allied fighter-bombers ' at
tacked enemy supply routes with
rockets, machine guns and
bombs while B-2 Superfortresses
attacked an air strip near the
North Korea capital of Pyong
yang.
Today was the Chinese New
Year the year 4651, which will
be called the Year of the Snake.
Communist loud speakers played
Christmas carols in the front
lines and blared out to South Ko
rean soldiers. Take it easy; it a
New Year's" and "You don't
want to fight on New Year's
Day."
Klamath Falls
Mill Closed
Klamath Falls VP) The Pal
merton Lumber Co. sawmill
was closed here Saturday after
being placed In the hands of
a temporary receiver.
W. A. Spangler, Klamath
Falls lumberman and chair
man of the State Liquor Con
trol Commission, was appoint
ed temporary receiver by Cir
cuit Judge David R. Vanden-
berg, who earlier had issued
order restraining the com
pany from producing and ship
ping any lumber.
The receivership was granted
at the request of Loren L.
Palmerton, former owner and
now a minority stockholder.
His complaint charged that
Don A. Weidler, Chicago, ma
jority stockholder, was operat
ing the Palmerton Lumber Co.
at a loss for the benefit of the
Weidler Lumber Co., Chicago,
a wholesaling firm owned by
Weidler.
The Palmerton Co., which
has extensive pine timber
holdings in this area, has also
done extensive importing of
Philippine mahogany. It em
ployed 350.
Oregon Girl to
Represent State
Washington VP) Marjorie Pe
terson, now employed In the of
fice of Vice President Richard
M. Nixon, was selected Friday
to represent Oregon in the
Washington, D. C, Cherry Blos
som Festival.
Selection of Miss Peterson, the
niece of Portland Mayor Fred
Peterson, was announced at the
annual banquet of the capital's
Oregon State Society.
John King, formerly of Free
water, Ore., was elected presi
dent to succeed Forrest Finley of
Portland. Other officers: Har
old Kelly, Portland, vice presi
dent; Lillian Say, Portland, sec
retary, and Howard Hicks, Port
land, treasurer.
Secretary of the Interior Doug
las McKay, former governor of
Oregon, was principal speaker.
The affair was held on the eve
of the 94th anniversary of Ore
gon's admission to the Union.
Fight Looms lo
Abolish RFC
Led by Byrd
By-partisan Group
After Large Federal
Lending Agency
Washington .OP) Scandals
which have plagued the Meeon-
struetion Finance Corporation
may get a new airing In a Senate
more to abolish the huge govern
ment lending agency.
A bi-partisan group led by
Sen. Byrd D-Va launched the
new attack with claims that
"We're going to win," and sena
tors opposing them conceded
frankly that may be correct
First test of straight on the
issue will come when the Sen
ate Banking Committee consid
ers the abolition bill, introduced
yesterday by Byrd and four
other senators. They are Sena
tors Robertson D-Va, Bricker R
Ohlo, Ferguson R-MIch and
Wiliami R-Del
Give It to Treasury
The measure would order the
RFC to wind up its lending pro
gram by next Jan, 1. It also
would hand over the agency's
estimated 700 million dollars of
outstanding loans to the Treas
ury Department for collection.
Its other duties, including man
aging the synthetic rubber pro
gram, would go to the Commerce
Department. '
Byrd't bill would let Presi
dent Eisenhower decide whether
to shift to the Treasury or the
Federal Reresve the custody of
any defense loans Congress may
decide to continue. The RFC
now administers them.
Britain Pledges
Co-operation
London UP) Britain has
promised France she will look
Into proposals aimed at insur
ing as close as possible British
co-operation with the six-na
tion European army project
A communique issued last
night at the end of top-level
British - French talks said
French suggestions for tighten
ing British bonds with the Eu
ropean Defense Community
will be explored in diplomatic
sessions "to take place short
ly." France also a-ed Britain for
money and material aid in her
war against the Vletmlnh reb
els in Indochina but the Lon
don government gave no Im
mediate answer on this plea.
Many Deaths in
Iranian Quake
Tehran, Iran VP) The director
of an Iranian relief organization
said Saturday that reports of
deaths in the earthquake that
struck the mountain village of
Torroud adh been greatly exag
gerated. Dr. Abbas Naflsl, chief fo the
Red Lion and Sun Iran's equi
valent of the Red Cross said
although the number of deaths
had not yet been determined it
was certainly below the 1,000 or
more that ha been reported.
Reports rrlday night said at
least 900 persons lost their lives
in the disaster Thursday. Latest
figures reaching Tehran Satur
day listed 950 of the village's
1,400 Inhabitants missing or
dead. Officials said, however, it
was presumed that many of the
missing would be found alive.
At least 23 others persons were
killed by the quake in three
small villages near Torroud.
Spain Raises Price on
Air, Naval Bases to U.S.
Washington VP) Spain was
reported today to have raised its
price for an air and naval base
agreement with the United
States apparently as a bargain
ing measure to find out how
much the Elsenhower adminis
tration may be willing to give.
Agreements covering develop
ment and use of bases In Spain
by American forces and provid
ing for U 5 economic and mili
tary assistance to that country
on a limited scale were virtually
completed last year under the
Truman administration.
Toward the end of the year,
however, negotiations lagged and
final details were not worked
out,
It is understood here the Spaa
For Admission
Of Far East
Nations to UN
Bandoeng, Indoesla, (V-Vot
ing down a Soviet protest, the
Economic Commission for Asia
and Far East Saturday recom
mended full membership for
Ceylon, Japan, South Korea, Ne
pal and three French-associated
Indochlnese states.
These nations now are asso
ciate members. The Soviet Un
ion had protested against the re
commendation on the ground
that it would bypass Russian
vetoes of United Nations mem
bership applications from these
countries. -
Under the resolution adopted,
ECAFE recommended that Its
parent organization, the U. S.
Econic and Social Council, admit
all associate members responsi
ble for their own international
relations.
The result climaxed a series
of rebuffs administered to the
Soviet Union during the nine
day conference.
Greetings Sent
Red China
Tokyo UJS Soviet Premier
Josef Stalin sent "heartfelt
greetings" to Communist Chi
na's leader Mao Tie-Tung on
the third anniversary of the
signing of the Sino-Soviet
treaty, Peiplng radio said to
day.
"Please accept my heartfelt
greetings on the occasion of
the third anniversary of the
signing of the Sino-Sovlet
treaty of friendship, alliance
and mutual assistance," Peip
lng quoted Stalin.
May the friendly alliance
between the people of Republic
of China and the Union of the
Soviet Socialist Republics,
which is the cause of peace
and security among nations, be
even further consolidated.
East Germany
Berlin VP) The Russian Zone
has completed plans to virtually
freeze its 18 million people.
much as the Soviet Union pro
hibits travel within its borders.
A Jewish refugee who saw the
documents before he fled to
West Berlin gave the details
Saturday He asked to remain
anonymous.
New identity cards will be is
sued restricting the holders to
travel within a certain limit
For most East Germans the max
imum will be 20 miles. State and
party officials will require spe
cial travel orders to visit East
Berlin.
Anyone caught outside the li
mit of his card will be in seri
ous trouble. This Is the same
type of control used in the So
viet Union and is one of the rea
sons the Russian security system
is regarded as one of the best if
not the best in the world.
The cards will be Issued, the
Informants said, the day the
federal parliament at Bonn rati
fies the European deiense trea
ty. Heart Attack Fatal
To Top Red Officer
Moscow VP) Lt Gen. Lev
Zakharovich Mekhlis, a member
of the Communist Party Central
Committee and close associate of
Premier Stalin, died Friday
night of a heart attack. His age
was given as 63 or 64.
The veteran revolutionist, a
Jew, had been in poor health for
a long time. His Illness had forc
ed him In 1950 to resign the
Important post of minister of
state control.
Ish negotiators are again press
ing some demands that had been
rejected earlier by the United
Statei Negotiations had contin
ued meanwhile without these
coming up.
The Spaniards are now said to
be asking that:
1. A total of 125 million dol
lars in financial aid voted by
Congress be made available
without any strings attached.
2. The U S. undertake to mod
ernize the Spanish Army, which
would mean a large scale mili
tary aid program.
3. The U.S. guarantee Spanish
security in a virtual alliance.
Spain would then proceed to
work out the American bid for
- 1 use of bases in peace and war.
Top Advisers!
Givclnlcrb
Report to l!ic
No Definite Action
On Reorganization .
Plans Taken
Washington, iff) rresMeat
Elsenhower Saturday reeetveel
ue secona interim report om
gevenunent rearnaixatlea treca
his special stady committee.
"There was no definite action
taken today," said presidential
press secretary James C Hag
erty after the two hour and IS
minute meeting.
Hagerty said fat answer to
question! there is no Indication
when the President might tend
to congress his first reorganiza
tion proposal.
Vice President Nixon, tlx
cabinet members and three other
top administration officials ac
cepted Invitations to discuss gov
ernment organization with the
President and his special ad
visory committee.
Hoover Flan Studied
Elsenhower set up the com
mittee less than a month after
his election and gave it the Job
of carrying on the work of the
now-disbanded Hoover Commis
sion on the reorganization of
the executive branch of the
government It went to work
promptly and made one Informal
report before inauguration day
Jan. 20.-
( Cone hi ted en rage ft, Catena f)
Israel Blamed
For Bombing
Moscow Vft The communist
party newspaper Pravda charg
ed Saturday that Monday's
bombing of the Soviet legation
in Tel Aviv was directly eon
nected with activities of Israeli
intelligence.
The Soviet government broke
oft diplomatic relations with
Israel following the explosion.
which injured three Russians,
Including the wife of the Soviet
minister to Israel. A stern Rus
sian note Wednesday accused
Israeli leaders of inciting hostile
anti-Soviet action. .
The Ael Aviv government de
nounced the bomb attack as
'dastardly," started a roundup
of suspects and offered to par
reparations to the Soviets. The
bombing was believed to have
been in retaliation for recent
anti-Zionist charges in Moscow
following the arrest of nine doc
tors some of them Jewish
accused of plotting against top
Soviet leaders. , ,
Allies to Pledge
Aid fo Egypt
London VP) Informed .diplo
mats reported last night that
the United States and Britain
have agreed to offer Egypt eco
nomic aid in a new bid for the
co-operation of that key Arab
nation in Middle East defense
planning.
The offer would be part of
general defense settlement
proposal to be put into effect
if Egypt agrees to Join the
projected Middle East Defense
Organization (ME DO), to be
linked with the Atlantic Pact
If Egypt agrees to work with
ME DO, these diplomats said,
Britain will agree to pull her
troops, estimated at 50,000
strong, out of the strategic Sues
Canal zone, which is Egyptian
territory.
Adlai Speaks
To Democrats
New York W Adlai E. Stev
enson, the defeated democratle
candidate for president makes
his first major address since the
campaign tonight
The former governor of Illi
nois will be the principal speak
er at the $100-a-plate Jackson-
Jefferson Day dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel to raise funds
for the democratic national com
mittee. The theme of his address has
not been announced.
Stevenson's speech will be
televised over the CBS network
from 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., EST.
It will be rebroadcast via CBS
radio network at 10 p.m., EST.
and the NBC radio network at
11:30 pjn., EST.
Other speakers at the dinner.
expected to attract more than
1,700 persons, will include Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt; Sen. Lyn
don Johnson of Texas, senate mi-
nority leader; and Rep. Sam Ray-
burn, house minority leader.